


Spare A Passing Glance..

by vprkh



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Ben Solo is a bodyguard, Bodyguard Romance, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Modern AU, One Shot, POV Ben Solo, Protective Ben Solo, Rey is famous, Reylo - Freeform, Reylo AU Week, Soft Ben Solo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:29:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22306471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vprkh/pseuds/vprkh
Summary: Appointed as a bodyguard of one of the film industry's top actresses, Rey, by her manager (and who also happens to be his mother), Ben Solo stands in the back secretly being head over heels for the one he's working for.But the thing is...She doesn't even know his name, and she's barely spared a passing glance. A man can still hope, right?
Relationships: Kylo Ren & Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 20
Kudos: 153





	Spare A Passing Glance..

Ben took a quick gander down at the generic black and white suit he was sporting, and adjusted his tie with shaky hands. Waiting eagerly at his usual spot in the back, he knew no one would care how he looked like—no matter how many times he straightened his suit or brushed back his long and wavy noir locks.

_Especially not her. Or most likely at least._

He slyly peeked at his watch; It's been 7:58 a.m. for the past three times he's checked. Such was the state of poor Ben Solo ever since Leia Organa, the manager, pushed him to become a bodyguard for some new actress in the industry-- therefore, someone he had barely even heard of. To be quite honest, he never cared about his parents' careers, always minded his own business, and definitely had no intention of working under his mother. That was until recently she approached him for this job saying that they were in need of another guard. Luckily he was experienced for this, and couldn't refuse her especially since Han had to relocate for his flying business.

Apparently, he'd be working for some Rey girl. If he knew this before, though, he wouldn't have been so reluctant.

Just like this very moment, she drove him crazy. At 8:01, he heard her heels clunking against the marble floor which compelled him to look in that direction. She had him restlessly tapping his foot, and his hand would always reach for his tie as soon she would walk in. Dressed in a navy blue suit, she gave a slight nod to all of her guards who were lined up on the side. Although, Ben was always put in the back, and despite being a big man, her skimming eyes never even blinked his way. She was too engrossed in her conversations with her manager and secretary, and was busy laughing with her hair stylist over something about her dog eating her breakfast? _It's okay_ , Ben thought with a sigh, _just another day_. It was enough for him to get a glimpse of her.

He was there almost everyday, and was usually assigned to attend certain events with her. Lost in the flashing lights at movie premieres and red carpets, Ben never realized when he became a part of the crowd gazing at her in awe despite him standing on the side. And unfortunately, it was never just him and her. Other guards would stand behind while she gleefully signed autographs and took photos with fans. Ben would be forced to hold watch on behalf of security several yards away only catching a glimpse or two of her arm or the back of her head.

At least on their way to interviews and press tours, Rey would gift him and the other few guards a small "hello" which got him smiling like a dork for the remainder of the day. At one point, she had asked him for his name while giving out instructions for an errand. Ben had his eyes concentrated on the floor until he noticed her feet had stopped right in front of him.

"Hey, err, John is it?" she asked with her face scrunched up in thought.

"Uhh, no, it's actually Ben.." his voice came out a little hoarse as he looked for the right words to assemble an answer.

"Shit. I'm sorry," she threw her palm to her face with a slight chuckle.

He beamed back at her mistake."Oh no, it's okay—"

"Ben," she started with emphasis. "—I'm sorry—I need you to..."

He zoned out for the rest as his eyes scanned her face, but his daydreams were interrupted by an epiphany:

_After all this time, she still didn't remember he existed._

Even back on his first day, he remembered how Leia had dragged him with her there for a proper introduction. He first noticed her caramel-brown tresses, her super light skin, and of course the major height difference between them as he and Leia approached her from behind. His mother gently tapped her shoulder to force her to turn around.

_"Rey, I'm sure you remember our conversation from the other day about needing another guard?" Leia gave her a slight grin as she placed her hand on her arm. "This is my son, Ben, and he would definitely be interested in taking up the job if it works for you."_

_Rey swiftly turned her attention to him upon mentioning his name. "Hello, Ben. Nice to meet you. I'm Rey." She extended her arm for a simple, professional handshake with one of her soft smiles._

_Ben, on the other hand, needed a second to take this in. His fingers fidgeted and recoiled as his hand met hers. "Nice to meet—"_

_"If there are any concerns, whatsoever, with him you let me know," Leia butt in, and within the next second, Rey let go of his hand upon being summoned somewhere else. While his gaze followed her, his mother gently patted his back and pressed her lips into a thin line. "Good luck, Ben," she finally spat out. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."_

"Wow, Ben," whispered Phasma behind him. She and Armitage Hux were busy snickering after Rey had walked away towards the door with her assistant. They were also guards here, and remained as Ben's "closest acquaintances". "You really need to tone it down before someone catches you."

"What are you guys on about?" he bit back as they all gathered around the vehicle outside.

"Just saying," Hux smirked while glancing around to make sure no one else overhears. "You know it can't work out, right? And if you can't accept that, then at least don't act so noticeable..." Ben turned back, and furrowed his brows. "...You looked like a freakin' dog that finally found his bone, dammit."

\--

Ben couldn't accept that, and luckily, it was for the better.

Sooner or later, things had died down a bit after the release of her movies.

"Rey, you have an interview scheduled for tomorrow at 11 with V— at your suite in—, and a shoot later on at 4 with E—"her assistant jotted stuff down on her clipboard as she and Rey paced down the hall, but slowed their advancement upon catching the manager addressing a guard. Leia caught the sign to turn around when the guard's gaze suddenly diverted from hers.

"Leia, er, is everything alright?" Rey inquired hesitantly since her manager's face seemed stricter than normal.

"Oh yes, Rey, everything's fine, but it's a good thing you're here actually. Since things have toned down a bit for now, I was thinking you really only need one guard around for your safety...at least when you are leaving for an interview or a shoot or anything of the sort." Leia respectfully moved to the side a bit for Rey to have a full view of both of her and the guard. "I was just letting Ben here know that he will be fully responsible for everything during your meetings and trips."

As Rey's gaze gradually moved from Leia to Ben, her straight face transformed into an innocent grin as always. "Oh yes Ben! I remember you," she beamed. On the other hand, a flushed Ben's eyes made their way from her face to the floor. "We were just discussing an interview and shoot I have to do for tomorrow so I'll see you then?"

"Yes, of course," Ben abruptly replied with joint shaky hands.

"The shoot is at 11 sharp which means you both need to be ready by-- " the assistant butt in.

"No problem at all, ma'am."

Rey's gaze held a second longer on his lopsided grin before the two women marched on; the entire conversation did not escape the old manager's attention.

—

Ben was up and about even earlier than usual today. Still, the habit of checking his watch, wringing down his suit, and running his fingers through his hair did not change. Today he even shaved so of course he felt self-conscious about his face. He bit his lip; _Should I wait in the car?_ he thought as he started towards the other side of the company's BMW. _No, of course not, idiot, you gotta hold the door for her._ Thank goodness, however, that she came out right before he could change his already flustered mind. Rey nonchalantly made her way down the steps, and he couldn't deny that the clinking of her heels against the concrete matched the rhythmic hammering in his chest. And thank goodness she was too busy talking on the phone to notice a star-struck Ben gawking open-mouthed; for her interview she decided to go for a simple, yet elegant, sleeveless evergreen dress with a black leather jacket worn over, and the waves of her brown hair hung shortly above her shoulder. He rushed to open the door in the back to let her in as she gave him a slight wave, and got into the driver'sseat.

Like a flickering light, Ben's eyes would occasionally swing to the rear-view mirror. Rey was still on the phone; Sounded like some kind of discussion about her wardrobe for the shoot this afternoon. After what felt like a half hour, she finally said her last words, and ended the call with a sigh. Although, now besides the noises of the car and outside world, it was utter silent in here. The yawns she let out once in a while as she stared out the window encouraged him to make a move.

"No sleep last night?"

His deep voice, which she rarely ever heard, shook her out of her reverie. "Huh? Oh yeah. Not really," she smiled weakly while making herself comfortable in the back. "Long story short...being me is a lot of work."

Ben broke a huge grin. "I'm sure it's all worth it though. And uh, I-I'm sure we have enough time for coffee...you know, so y-you can stay awake for your interview?" _Shit_. He never gave it a thought about how difficult it would be to speak to her like a normal person.

"Er, you sure? That would sound great actually."

"Yeah, no problem."

Before the awkward silence could resume, he quickly stopped by a nearby café. Rey's face lit up when she found it was one of her favorite shops. Ben knew a star like her would cause attention so he decided to take the trip inside for her, and luckily he had overheard what her usual order was from her assistant.

"Thanks, Ben," she smiled as he opened the back door, and she reached for the cup and a brown paper bag. The slight brushing of their hands sent goosebumps down his spine like lightning causing him to recoil. "Wait, you brought me breakfast, too?"

"Uh, yeah, I-I thought you might be hungry...sorry if you weren't I didn't mean to make you eat this you can just throw it out—" he started to babble.

"No, no. This is great, I needed this," she raised her brows. Ben tried not to make his smile look like an odd grimace, and hurried back to the front before making things worse.

His lips parted unknowingly in utter amazement upon staring at the tall, classy building. Sure he wasn't poor, and he'd seen many houses of the rich and famous. No this was not different because it was her home. Not at all. Rey set aside her jacket, coffee, and purse as they entering her suite while Ben was satisfied with examining the place by the doorway. Most of it was aesthetically white. Maybe here and there were floral patterns painted on the walls. He had yet to see the rest upstairs, however. She was just about to head to another room when her phone suddenly buzzed.

"What? seriously?" she groaned. "Ugh, okay okay. An hour is not so bad. Alright, it's fine. Yeah, see you in a bit, bye."

"....everything alright?" Ben inquired hesitantly. He considered minding his own business, but screw it.

She turned to face him, and tossed her phone in her purse. "Yeah yeah it's fine. The team coming over for the interview is just running late. They're asking for an hour."

"Oh..."

"Yeah...I could've gotten more sleep at this point. Now I gotta sit here and wait and try not to mess up my hair and makeup," Rey huffed while dejectedly dropping onto her soft, gray couch. This genuinely made him burst into laughter, and Rey found his light reaction contagious. "What?"

"I'm sorry--I really am..." he beamed with a smile so wide she couldn't help but notice his perfect white teeth as he stepped a bit closer into the room. "It's just—well how bout we do a practice run or something?"

"A practice run? _Really_ Ben?—"

"Or whatever keeps you awake, yes seriously."

"But I'd _really_ rather not—"

"C'mon, we need to get you up and running" he clapped his hands. "You have a shoot later on, too, no?"

"Yes, you're right. Okay fine...What are we doing?"

He ran a hand through his hair in thought. "Just pretend you're giving me a little tour around the house, and I'll ask you questions like.. I don't know, what color do you like for your curtains."

This time it was Rey who failed to stifle her giggles. She swiftly hopped up like a spring, and glanced around each corner of the house. "Hmm...I'm not sure where to start," she pondered aloud.

Ben followed her gaze. "Why don't we start by the entrance?" He made his way out, and pretended to ring the doorbell. Rey "welcomed him in," and showed him around from there. She seemed way too enthusiastic about certain things like the colorful tapestries and throw pillows in her room, the antique vases spread out throughout the place, and the plants out in the balcony. But that strange twinkle in her eye was what really bewitched him. At times, he would just sit on the side, zone out, and watch her ramble and play around with her most beloved trinkets.

"Alright, last one: one good and bad thing...about always being in the spotlight. Go."

Ben gave her the privacy ofaimlessly traipsing in the kitchen with a small pot of daisies in her hands while he stood in the middle of the living room. He turned back when the clicking noises of her heels had suddenly ceased for a moment.

"A good thing I would say is that you get some sense of responsibility. You're always looked upon to inspire and entertain others, and that feeling is like no other. And the spotlight is there giving you a chance to make it happen—to profoundly affect someone..." she resolved after much contemplation. Rey languidly made her way back to the living room, and both of them eventually took their seats face-to-face on the couches. "A bad thing would be...well, this isn't actually bad I would say, but sometimes you want to step away from the spotlight, and just not be a center of attention. It can get tiresome, and maybe it could be nice to join the crowd...blend in a bit. Be yourself, and live a normal life where you don't have to be too cautious about what you are doing or who you are spending time with."

Lost in her reverie, she didn't notice him frozen and ogling at her with parted lips. Ben swallowed nervously, and felt the heavy beating in his chest more prominent than ever. Her confession had him shaken to the core, and how he wished he could drag her away from the spotlight—he definitely would if he could. If he was permitted to. All at once, before he could say anything, the doorbell rang, and she immediately ran for it leaving him alone on the couch. The past hour felt like a dream, and the lights once again fell upon her while he'd be watching in the crowd concealed by the overbearing curtain of the dark.

—

"I wanted to thank you for yesterday," she approached him the next day. "That was a lot of fun, really." The slight touch she gave on his arm before heading to the studio was another electric shock.

_Maybe there is hope_ , he thought.

—

Regardless of whether it was a simple shoot or a whole movie convention, Leia almost always allowed Ben to go with Rey because her change of spirit didn't escape her; in essence, it was whatever made her work easier. And besides, after that episode, they were nearly friends [if anything]. She gradually loosened up around him, and he lost a bit of that anxiety that usually built up in her presence.

A day came where Rey was invited by her friends, Finn and Poe, to attend a party that evening— friends that Ben had never even heard of ever since he started working here. He bit his lip, and his palms got a little sweaty. No, not because he felt like he had competition or anything. He just didn't want her to go...for reasons regarding her safety of course. That's it. The same reasons why her manager wouldn't let her go alone.

"Don't worry, Leia, I'll just have your son come with me," Rey gestured towards him as he stood behind his mother. And Ben secretly let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"No, I'd rather have you take another guard or two as well just in case," she turned to her son. "No offense, but it's a party. I need you in perfect condition tomorrow for shooting."

"Leia, I'll be fine. Finn and Poe are my closest friends, and I trust that they won't let anything happen to me or anyone..." she suddenly moved her focus behind the old manager; chocolate brown met hazel. "And I trust Ben, too. He's both my guard and a friend."

Well, he couldn't tell if he should inwardly rejoice over their closeness, or grieve over the distance she's evidently kept between them. Nonetheless, this wasn't the time. Ben nodded in return.

"Okay. Fine," Leia sighed, and turned around. "Anything goes wrong tonight, and I'll be holding you responsible. Got it?"

"Everything will be under control mo—Mrs. Solo. You have my word," Ben said candidly while trying to keep it professional.

At nightfall, he was once again waiting outside the building by the car all pressed in the usual black and white. While Ben was excited the first time to spend the day alone with her, this time he didn't want to go at all. He pursed his lips while lying back on the glass, and envisaged all the things that could possibly go wrong tonight; _C'mon Ben,_ he thought aloud. _You got this. You're the man. She said they're her friends--nothing else. There's absolutely nothing to worry about. Wait-- but there could be other bastards that could make a move. No...no way are you letting that hap--_

"Ben! Hey, you alright?" she shouted from the entrance. Rey was dressed more casual than usual in a short black dress, but it still managed to knock his socks off. The jingling of her long necklace made him even more jittery, and her glossy black heels made her face only a bit closer to his own [no short man our Ben Solo was]. "Ben? If you don't feel w—"

"Hey, no no I'm fine. Just a bit tired, but I'll be okay...Uhh let's get going I guess." Before she could spot his red-tinted cheeks, he made his way towards the driver's seat.

"Yup!" she beamed in excitement. "I haven't seen them in forever. Ugh, I miss BB VIII, too."

"BB VIII?"

"Yeah, Poe's dog. He's just like the cutest little corgi I've ever seen, and when he sees you, he'll just jump right on top of you, and-- and yeah sorry I'm babbling I'll shut up now."

"No no you're fine! I mean, it's okay," Ben beamed at her through the rear-view mirror, but also tried covering up his blunt confession. "I really wanna see him now, I love dogs. What does BB VIII stand for?"

"For Bartholomew Bacchus the eighth."

"Wait, what--"

"It's just the name that the shelter had already given him. Why? God knows. There's no way Poe is calling him Bartholomew so BB VIII it is," she stated matter-of-factly while leaning forward on the passenger seat.

"Right. So you're friends' names are Poe and...Finn?"

"Yup. Poe is actually in the acting business as well, and I met him through Finn. And Finn I met during my years at college. We studied together for certain classes and everything."

"Oh okay... you guys sound pretty close then."

"Yeah, definitely. Finn is hands down my all-time best friend," Rey emphasized the last four words. "He went into business though, so I don't get to see him often."

"Oh...nice. I mean, that's too bad. At least you're meeting up with them now after a long time. And I'd say a long time since I've never seen them ever since I started here—started working for you."

"We've all been busy, so it's okay. And yeah, you'll meet them tonight, they're the best."

Ben clenched his jaw, and felt his palms go sweaty again against the steering wheel. The innocent smile he gave through the mirror, which was supposed to mean he was happy for her, was just a hoax. His internal emotions were brewing something else.

There was a line outside the place when they got there, and Ben noticed there were more guards like him standing outside. Must be some party then. Thrilled, Rey flashed her teeth when she saw her favorite corgi sitting outside the door with a guard. She quickly took out her phone.

"Hey—Hey Finn?" she couldn't hear his voice over all that noise through the other end. "Finn, we're outside. Do you wanna let us in? The line outside is too long. Okay, great! I'll see you!" Within minutes, a lean, dark-skinned man was struggling to get to the entrance, and told the guards to let in a friend. "Finn!" she waved her hand over to him, and bolted towards him and the dog while leaving Ben to sauntering behind.

"Peanut! Oh my God it's you!" Finn ultimately pulled her in a tight hug. His other best friend showed up just a second later with a drink at hand.

"Wow the big star is in the building guys!" Poe joined them making a three-way hug. Eventually, they noticed the bodyguard due to his enormous height.

"Woah, this guy your guard?" gasped Finn as they let go of her, and both gawked at Ben in amazement.

"Oh, this is Ben. He's my guard, yes, and a friend of course," she beamed as she put a hand on his arm.

"Hello, nice to meet you—"

"Woah, man, you're ginormous—I'm sorry, I'm just taken aback a little," Finn chortled. "How's Peanut here doing— I'm sure you know more than her right?" Rey was too busy bickering with him to catch her guard's face turn pink. "Okay, I'm just playing!"

"So you guys wanna just stand here, or you wanna get a drink or something?" Poe finally butt in. He knelt down real quick to scratch the corgi behind his Dorito-like ears. "Sorry, buddy. I can't take you in, but I'll be back soon, okay?" he assured him, and then lead the group further inside.

"Yeah, yeah. Not too much tonight 'cause of tomorrow's shoot but.." Rey glanced between Ben and the other guys.

"Aw damn, yeah work comes first. How 'bout you, Ben, a beer maybe?"

"No, no thanks. I'm just here to do my job so you guys can carry on, and let me know when you want to head back," Ben uttered stiffly. He gave her a slight nod before heading to a corner of the room where he could give them space but also keep an eye on her. After his departure, he watched how she loosened up even more as they headed to the bar; all this time working with her, and not once had he seen her laugh as genuinely as she did tonight.

Once in a while, she made these goofy faces at Finn that didn't fail to turn up the corner of his mouth. Ensuingly, they ended up on the dance floor with what he guessed as another group of friends. She swayed to the beat, and once in a while, would burst out in laughter over someone whispering in her ear. Ben's face would fall, however, whenever she got too close to them. It soon hit him the hardest when she was wrapping her arms around a guy while dancing, and they'd both cackle to no end. Ben blinked repeatedly, and it suddenly felt very hot in there. Jaw clenched, and sweat rolling down from his temple, he couldn't handle this anymore.

Ben suddenly rose from his seat in the corner. And luckily, Poe had caught a glance of him shuffling towards the restrooms so he made his way to Rey. He pulled her out of the crowd, and lead them towards the bar again. "Hey, you sure your guard's okay?"

Rey's face fell serious. "Yeah. Wait why?" She turned around, and didn't see him there.

"I saw him heading towards the bathroom, but eh, he didn't look so good," Poe kept his searching eyes on her.

"Aw poor Ben. I better go check on him, and we should probably head back anyways."

"Right," he nodded. "Can I ask you something real quick? Your guard...he's just your friend, right?"

Rey furrowed her brows. "Yeah, we're—we're just friends what else?"

"Well, that's at least coming from you. Just wanted to give you a heads up that judging by the way he's been looking at you all night, I think he sees you as something else."

"What do you mea—"

"I'm pretty sure he likes you," he smirked while leaning on the counter.

"Who Ben? Liking me? Okay Poe I think you had a little too much tonight," she scoffed.

"Rey, don't tell me you haven't noticed anything at all. He's been working for you for how long?"

Her face fell once again as his words started to sink in. Now that she thought about it, _why does he treat her so well? Why does he bother buying her breakfast, playing games just to keep her awake, commenting and asking about all the little things— and how did she not notice his eyes were always glued to her when she was around? How he suddenly starts shaking, and loses his ability to speak?_ Rey didn't bother answering; She stood up from her stool without a word. Poe watched as she pushed through the crowd to head towards the bathrooms. A smug look grew on his face before he went back to sipping his drink.

She waited for him by the door, but soon began to knock impatiently. "Hey Ben! It's Rey. Are you okay?"

Ben was hunched over the sink with his hair disarrayed. His tie hung somewhat loose around his neck, and parts of his white shirt were wet from all the times he splashed water to his hardened face. Ben repeatedly rubbed his tear-stained eyes, and scratched his head. He couldn't do this anymore, or better yet, he couldn't bear it. He clearly could never reach the level her friends had, let alone go beyond it. And by the looks of it, she might have something going on with the guy she was embracing. _How can I face her now?_ His face scrunched up with the same pain, but with a stronger force. _Maybe Hux and Phasma were right...I give up._

Upon hearing her voice with that sweet foreign accent, he started straightening himself up again. "Yeah I'm fine! Be right there!" he hollered back. After combing back his long locks, and tightening his tie, he ambled out to find her standing right outside with a look of concern. "What?"

Rey let her eyes search his for a bit longer. "Nothing, I just wanted to get going actually. And Poe told me you looked like you weren't well all night. Ben, I told you before we left—"

"Rey, I'm fine. Seriously, don't worry about me," he stated rather coldly. She saw how his face had hardened before he looked away. Ben then paced himself towards the exit. Taken aback by his rude bluntness, Rey stood there frozen for a bit longer. On the way home, not one word was spoken by either of them.

—

With an envelope in his coat pocket as white and pale as his face, Ben took his time getting to work. His eyes were pink and strained [probably because he couldn't sleep after last night's episode]. Hence, he also took the time to do the inevitable; a part of him felt like this day would come soon enough anyways. He thought about letting his mother know first since this was all done for her. Ben found her speaking to two other guards in the halls, and slowly sauntered over.

"Mrs. Solo," he coughed alarming her. He let a hand brush over the strands of hair falling over his forehead. "I need to have a word with you...when your done?" He reached for the paper in his pocket, and handed it to her.

Leia told the other guards to give her a second, and contemptuously glanced between him and the envelope. "Ben, what is it?" she grumbled with impatience.

"...I'm resigning Mrs. Solo," he stated flatly.

"What? Why?"

"Everything you need to know is in there," he eyed the envelope in her hand. "I'll be leaving my things in your office. Thanks for my time here, mom."

Leia sighed with disappointment. "Okay, Ben... I was actually going to say that Rey wanted to speak to you privately, and she told me to let you know once you've arrived."

"Oh...okay.."

"She's in my office right now so I suggest you meet her before you leave." His mother shook her head at him before walking away.

Ben dropped his gaze on the floor, and took a deep breath; _at least he can formally say goodbye._ Upon entering the room, he found her skimming over some papers at hand. His deep voice, however, stole her attention.

"Mrs. Solo said you wanted me to see you?" he stood by the door.

"Oh, yes I did um..." Rey walked around the desk, and leaned against it in front of him. "Er, about last night, I—"

"Yeah I know I was a bit rude, and I'm very sorry about that if it offended you in any way—"

"No, no that's not what—"

"—and regardless it won't happen again anyways so."

"No it's okay, I wanted to ask you about something else— wait what do you mean it won't happen again? You sound like your leaving or something..." she nervously crossed her arms.

Ben awkwardly dug his hands in his trouser pockets as he made his way closer to her. "...because I am."

Rey furrowed her brows, and suddenly she didn't seem so calm. "...what?" she blurted.

"Yeah. I'm resigning."

"Why though? I thought you liked working here—working with me? I thought we were friends?"

"I-I do, I mean, I did," he began stammering, and failed to meet her gaze.

"..Then?"

It was now or never. What did he have to lose? "But that's the thing, we're just friends...right?"

Rey gulped. She dropped her arms, but couldn't bring herself to an answer. "Ben..."

"That's what I thought," he smiled weakly as he took another step. He looked one last time into her hazel eyes, and took a deep breath. In that one moment he begged to be free of this pain. "It's okay, I understand. Well, it was really nice working with y—"

But before Ben could react, she suddenly yanked the tie that his hands always naturally reached for, and crashed her lips to his. She broke the seal the next second, however. A flustered Rey ogled at him with parted lips, and he watched as a trail of a tear slid down her cheek; He wasn't gonna let it escape. Ben swiftly cupped her face between his hands, and once again captured her lips, but unlike her, he wouldn't let go that easily. After months of compressing it in, all of his emotions of passion were hopelessly overflowing in one moment, and there was no point in being timid now. He moved her against the wall, and luckily, Rey didn't fight back. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer.

After what felt like forever, they finally broke away to catch their breath. Ben licked his lips, and snickered at her disheveled hair and messed up makeup while Rey laughed back at his hairs standing on end, his unfolded collar, and his sideways tie as she straightened her dress.

He paused after a moment. "So you don't have something going on with that guy last night?"

"What guy are you talking about?" she furrowed her brows.

Ben moved forward again. "The one you were clinging onto yesterday like he was your last drop of water in a desert. You were nearly glued to him," he sneered.

"Oooh jealous?" Rey snorted. "I guess someone was watching." Besides the rosy tint to his cheeks, Ben's expression remained unchanged. "Oh my God, he was my childhood friend. Yes Finn and Poe are my best friends, but I'vealways loved him like a brother— Someone who I can approach without hesitation for anything. Everyone calls him Chewie."

"Ohh..." he flattened his lips. "Well, you could've told me about him, too... just so I knew if you had anyone in mind.."

"Well, if I knew about your feelings, I would've bothered to have been more clear," Rey smiled coyly before quickly stealing another peck. "But er...how long have you felt—"

"Since day one. It took me months to get your attention though. I thought that even if you could just spare me a passing glance, it would be enough to just get me through the day." He leaned his forehead against hers. "Well, when did you realize...?"

"...I'm sorry it took me longer, but...the day you were assigned to be my guard. I felt like there was something in your demeanor that was different from the other guards, I couldn't really tell what beforehand."

All at once, they heard voices coming from outside. Ben abruptly moved back, and fixed his appearance. "Well, I guess I'll be waiting outside. Don't take too long to get ready... _ma'am_ ," he smirked before slyly exiting the room. On his way down the halls, he ran into his mother again.

"...So I'm assuming I won't be needing that resignation letter," Leia cocked a brow as she gave him back the envelope. "Get to your station now, will you? You're already super late. Don't embarrass me, Ben."

_That woman really knows everything_ , he thought.

—

Now when Rey entered the room with her manager, her assistant, and whoever else she needed first thing in the morning, her gaze never failed to fall on him before anyone else. Ben Solo always managed to give her back the slightest tug at his lips.

_He'll be pulling her from the spotlight later._

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, thanks for reading this oneshot/my first Reylo fic! It really means a lot. I tried my best to wrap this up as quick as possible, yet make it as detailed as I could as well, and keeping it mainly from Ben’s POV kinda leaves this suspenseful. Anyways, let me know what you guys think in the comments ❤️  
> #reyloforthewin


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